Repsol Sinopec gauges Pao Campos presalt discovery

A Repsol Sinopec-led group has gauged oil and gas at a presalt discovery in the Campos basin offshore Brazil.

The discovery on the Pao de Acucar prospect on the BM-C-33 block encountered two presalt accumulations with hydrocarbon columns totaling 480 m thick with a combined 350 m of pay.

The well flowed at the rate of 5,000 b/d of light oil and 28.5 MMcfd of gas on test of a partial section of the pay zone on a choked drilling test with minor drawdown.

Repsol Sinopec is block operator with 35% interest. Statoil ASA has 35%, and Petrobras has 30%.

Partner Statoil defined Pao as a “high-impact well,” meaning one that located more than 250 million bbl of oil equivalent or 100 million boe net to Statoil.

The discovery, in 2,800 m of water 195 km east of Rio de Janeiro state, is the block’s third find after Seat and Gavea. Statoil said the group will evaluate the development potential of the Pao and Gavea discoveries.

Statoil said the Pao discovery “increases our understanding of the presalt potential in the Campos basin and improves our confidence in the recently acquired acreage position in the presalt Kwanza basin of Angola.”

Statoil operates Peregrino heavy oil field, to the west of the Pao discovery, which started production in April 2011 and in which Sinochem has 40% interest (OGJ Online, Apr. 15, 2011).